10th National Assembly Leadership: Group Insist On Fairness And Equal Opportunity

By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel 

Following the emerging trends in the polity arising from the intervention of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress regarding the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, a group under the aegis of the Democracy Watch Initiative has written to the president-elect Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu to embrace constitutional democracy as the antithesis of arbitrary rule, which allows all citizens, rather than favoured individuals or groups, the right and opportunity to participate. 

The National Coordinator of Democracy Watch Initiative, Sunusi Umar PhD said the step was  to forestall the drift toward greater regional distrust in Nigeria, breach of constitutional democracy, due process of leadership succession through elections and rancour in the 10th Assembly

Umar maintained that, the current attempt to impose leaders on people of undoubtful maturity, and proven experience, elected to represent their various constituencies in the incoming 10th National Assembly, amounts to an encroachment on the sanctity of the legislature, subversion of popular will and a negation of the democratic principle of separation of powers between executive, the legislature and the Judiciary. 

He therefore called on  the President-elect to reclaim the people's confidence in his untainted democratic credentials and  commitment to entrenching sustainable democracy, restoring the glory of governance, reclaiming the sanctity of constitutionalism and respect for rule of law by  maintaining the balanced and matured neutrality he is famous for.  Adding that, its only a leadership of the National Assembly independently and willingly produced by the members themselves, for themselves, can douse the rising regional tensions and foster strong understanding and cooperation among the elected members.

"We believe a free election of leaders of the National Assembly by its own members would put to end the already brewing concerns of marginalization and fear of domination of other geopolitical zones in the North by others.

We submit therefore that if North despite the immense contribution it made towards the victory of the APC at the Presidential election at the expense of fellow candidates from the region does not deserve to be rewarded with the position it rightly demands in the National Assembly, there should be no justification to deny the the right to stand election to the same post. "

"Your Excellency may recall the incredible promises he made to the North during electioneering at the Arewa House talk show organized by the Northern leaders and elders. No one expects however that you will give to the North what it does not deserve, what we are demanding is a free environment for the exercise of franchise as the only solution to the pervasive communal distrust that is more accentuated in the North. "

Umar however called the attention of His Excellency to be vigilant as to the political opportunists that are bound to swarm around him with the intent of forming another cabal who are behind this scheme aiming to pitch him against his traditional political friends and sections of the country.

"Everyone must be aware by now that those pursuing this undemocratic, unconstitutional and unrealistic agenda are not his friends; they are people who did not vote for him nor in anyway supported his emergence as APC candidate nor his eventual victory at the February polls."